Bahrainis jailed for defaming the king

The two defendants appeared in court on Monday. One was sentenced to a month behind bars while the other was sentenced to four-months. They were found to have defamed King Hamad bin Isa Al-Thani.

A third defendant facing the same charges was sentenced to six months in jail last week.

The verdict against a fourth member of the group is expected later this month.

Regular demonstrations have shaken Bahrain since it crushed a Shiite-led uprising against the ruling Sunni regime in March last year.

The kingdom has been severely criticised by international rights groups over the crackdown. The International Federation for Human Rights says that at least 80 people have died since the violence began in 2011.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge